Internal-combustion engine.



A. ROSHRafv LNTERNAL coMusnom ENGINE.

Patented 383.29,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 27| 19H.

.LDOIJP'H EOSNER, 0F BBIDGEPOB'I, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LOCOIYIOIBIILE7 COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

TNTEBNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 191%,

application led September 27, 1911. Serial No. 651,508.

To aZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ADoLrH RosNER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut,have invented an Improvement in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates-to internal combustion engines and particularly to the means for controlling the admission of fuel to the cylinder and the exhaust of the waste gases therefrom. I

vIn carrying out my invention I preferably make use of slide valves. The valves as herein disclosed, however, are so designed and disposed that an extremely high degree of compression can be readily. attained while, at the same time, the valves are simple in construction and operation and are free from the difficulties of lubrication, overheating and other troubles to'which valves of this class have heretofore been subjected. y

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompany- -ing illustration of one specific embodiment` thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation taken through a cylinder of an I engine equipped with one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective, showing the operating connection for one of the slidev valves; and

Figs. 3, e, 5 and 6 are sectional elevations, partly diagrammatic, showing the pistons and valves in diderent poitions;

Referring-to the drawings, and particularly to the embodiment of the invention there shown, the engine there illustrated is provided with a fixed main cylinder 1, supported upon the crank casing 2 The piston '3 is provided, connected by the rod 4 to the crank 5 and crank shaft 6. The working space of the cylinderfor that through which the piston travels, is surrounded by the water jacket 7 and the piston slidesin direct contact with the water jacketed Walls, of' y c y properly timed relation actuating devices the xed cylinder. ,'lfhe` rear end of, the

cylinder is closed by the cylinder head 8, which is bolted'or otherwise fixedly secured y to the top end of the cylinder, forming pref` erably a gas tight joint vand a gas tight closure for the end of the' cylinder. The cylinder head hasthe portion 9 which pro- -jects into the rear end of the cylinder, the

projectingportion being of lesser diameter than the diameter of the cylinder providing thereat an annular space 10 between the cylinder and the rentrant Walls of the head.

The' cylinder head has the centrally ar.-

ranged spark plug 11 and is provided also with the yWater jacket 12.

- At the rear ofthe cylinder, beyond the Working space thereof and in close approximation tol the projecting' portion of the extend each part way aroundy the cylinder.

` In 'the described embodiment of the invention the ports 13 and 14 are controlled by independently movable slide valves 15' and 16, respectively. While the valves might consist of flatvplates or have other than a curvilinear shape, for convenience in construction' as well as efficient operation each valve preferably comprises an arc-shaped but non-,cylindrical segmental plate, having a curvature corresponding to the curvature .ofthe cylinder bore, so that it is adapted to seat thereagainst'.

These valve plates or slides are moved in dependently up and down by means to be fully described so that their ends which' in their lowermost positions terminate short of the piston andthe Working space' of the cylinder, are alternately vprojectedeach over its respective ,port to close the sameand withdrawn therefrom to open the pQi;t."'-The valve slides at their inner faces areeposed to the presente ofthe gas contained in the cylinder so that they are automatically seated during the.l compression and working strokes of the piston,-nthe high pressure ex'- erted radially foutward against the valves, holding them effectively each against its seat, preventing all leakage at the ports.`

To move the valves independently and in LIL:

valves at their outer sides or taces,each hy means of a trunnion block 2l, seated between lugs 22 proiecting outwardly from the valves, the, block being spanned by and v:tainted to' the :forked ends of the lever.

and 18 being rorrned in. the cylinder and the valves being pressed.

rlFhe openings l? automatically -thereagainst by the pressure Withinl the cylinder space, all leakage is pren vented through the openings in the saine manner as it is through the ports 13 and 'la vvhen the latter are closed.

'llo actuate the valves the levers i9 and 20 are jlointed respectively to the push rods and 2a, the latter being connected their lower ends to the cam rolls 25 and 26 which bear respectively against the actuating cams 27 and 28 on the cani shat'ts 29 and 30. These cam shafts are driven through gears 3l and 32 r eshing with the pinion 355 on the crank shat't, at one-hall.E the speed o the crank shaft. Each cam is provided with one depression which, when brought beneath the cam roll, permits its respective valve to move back into the annular space and open its respective port under the: pressure et a valve opening spring, such 'opening move ment therefore taking place once for each two double strokes et' the piston.

lit will' be observed that the cani is et'n tective for positively closing" and maintaining the valve closed during compression and tiring, While spring,- pressure is utilised tor opening the valve at the appropriate time. lin the illustrated "form of engine the spring pressure is provided foy the main springs 34s and 35,Whieh encircle the push rods 23 and 2li, respectively, and press the cani rolls down against the edges of the cams 27 and 28. rll`he push rods and-associated parts are housed in by the protecting casings 3G and 3'?. To supplement the pressure ot' the springs 34 and 35, as vvell as to take up lost motion in the actuating connections otl the valves, auxiliary lsprings 38 and 39 are utilised to assist in opening the valves. These springs are seated exteriorly the cylindcr head 8, being protected by the caps Il() and dl. Each spring` is under compression and presses upwardly against a collar carried by the plunger rod 4.3, the latter passing through the flangel or' the cylinder head and having its opposite end threaded to one of the lugs 22. `When the depression of the cam passes under the cani roll the auxiliary spring4 adds its pressure to that o1 the spring and assists in lifting the valve to an open position.

lt will be seen that the slide valves, being separated segments, tend to expand or press outwardly under pressure in the explosion chamber. rThis causes the valves automatically to seat, their resistance to leakage being` thereby automatically increased as the pressure of compression or during' the workingl stroke increases. ll have found that this pressure is ample to seat the valvesand pren vent all leakage with a very small area of the valve exposed, and that if too great an area beexposed to the pressure of the eX- plosion chamber trouble may be experienced in movingthe valves. ln the present form of engine the valves are required to be moved under pressure only near the end of the working stroke, when the pressure is relatively low. rll`o reduce the Working pressure against the valves l have, however, arranged them so that preferably an intense pressure is only applied to a relatively small area of the valve,'and herein only to that portion of the slide which is required :tor closingits port and which projects below the end ot the cylinder head.

To this end the segments are each in the torni ot a half sleeve, with the ends meeting, and are given a. close lit in the annular space between the cylinder and the cylinder head. Preferably spring rings il and #l5 are provided in the Walls et the cylinder head, these rings being preferably in the torni oit packing rings, so that the leak age of high pressure fluid to the upper end of the annular space l() is prevented.. These rings also assist in seating,l the valves against the walls of the cylinder. Furthermore, l have provided the inner faces of the slides, or those engaging with the Walls of the cylinder head, with a substantially uniform surface, so that no pockets are provided for the accumulation ot' pressure fluid, which might lealr past the rings from the explosion space-and increase the seating pressure of the valves therea't. rlhe connecting N0 lugs for the actuating levers 19 and 20 being placed exteriorly the sleeves, theinner surfaces ot' the valves lit vthe cylinder head closely and the leakage and accuinulation of pressure tl'uid, or at all events high 115 pressure fluid, is thereby substntially eliminated.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, the

operation of the valves will be readily apparent. ln Fig 3 the piston is shown dur- 120 ing its admission or .suction stroke, the admission valve 15 having been retracted into the annular space and having opened the admission port 13 to the cylinder. The exhaust valve has been previously closed and is still maintained closed by its cam 28.

The conditions which pertain during the compression stroke are represented in Fig.- f. lf he piston is here shown as having,

started on the compression stroke, the adin" meeste mission valve 15 having been previously closed by its cam 27, and the exhaust valve being still maintained closed by its cam 28. Under these conditions the increasing compression within the cylinder Aincreasingly presses the valves against their respective seats, so that as the compression increases so also does the resistance to leakage at and about the'valves.v

In Fig. 5 the conditions at the commencement of the working stroke are represented, the piston having started on its, second forwardmovement, and both the valves being still maintained closed by their respective cams.

In Fig. 6' the piston is shown as having completed its Working stroke and as starting on the return or exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve 16 having been permitted to open by its cam at the commencement of the stroke.

The valves may be given a very short stroke, herein the equivalent only of the port opening plus the necessary lap, and through the use of the cams as actuating agents may be moved each at such an appropriate time as gives the most effectively timed port opening for admission and exhaust. Thus, during suction stroke, the admission valve can bel opened almost instantly after the commencement of the admission strokeand remain open until aa'little after the completion of the stroke. Un the other hand, the exhaust valve may be opened near the very close of the working stroke and can be kept open until the completion of the exhaust stroke of the piston.

By modifying the'shape of the cams the precise timing of the valves can be independently varied as may be desired and preferably I so set the cams that `the exhaust valve is not closed until a few degrees after the completion of the exhaust stroke of the piston and not until the admission valve has started to open, so that there is a slight interval during which both valves are opened permitting a momentary scavengingI action.

The opening and closing'movements of the valves in each case are effected .very rapidly by means of the cams. This adds materially to the'effectiveness of' the admis- Sion, compression, Working, and exhaust strokes. l

The cam-operated movement of the valves and the short travel required produces a minimum of wear. It will be observed moreover that the valves are only in motion when the internal pressure is slight, periods of compression and firing occurring 1 when the valves are stationary. Tliis not only reduces the frictional wear of the valves but also'the power required to move them and provides conditions which assist in preventing leakage.

cylinder walls and vprotected against The valves as herein shown are preferably located at the rear of the working space of the cylinder and out of contact with the piston, this placing them out of the direct path of heat conduction or dispersion which` takes place from the working cylinder space through the cylinder walls to the water jacket. The slide valves therefore are not only themselves out of the direct path of heat which must be dissipated through the that intense heat which tends to interfere with their effective operation is avoided, but the cooling of the cylinder is much more effectively carried on where the heat does not have to traverse the valves themselves interposed between the piston and the cylinder walls.

It will be observed that with the valves located having the major portion of each within the annular space between the cylinder head andl the cylinder they are not only the access of pressure to their inner faces but are shielded by the projecting cylinder head from the intense heat of the combustion chamber during the working stroke, the only portions of the valves which are thus exposed being the short projecting ends which cover the ports.

lVhile the valves might be arranged upon seats not constituting a part of the cylinder bore, preferably as herein shown they are seated in a continuation of the cylinder bore, being however in a non-concentric or non-overlapping relation to the piston.

It will be understood that the terms front, rear, top and Abottom as applied to the engine and its cylinder are merely terms of description applied to the specific-drawings herein annexed to facilitate a more ready understanding of them, and have no significance as. applied to the generic principles of my invention, various embodiments of which may be made wherein the relation of the parts thus referred to may be reversed orpvariously altered.

While l have herein shown and described for purposes of illustration one specific form of the invention, it is to be understood that the latter is not limited to the precise construction of features disclosed nor to the form or relative arrangements of parts nor 'to the particular type of engine described,

but that extensive modifications may be made in the illustrated embodiment of the invention without ydeparting from the spirit thereof.r

Claims: v 'Y l. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder having a port, a cylinder head, an arc-shaped slide valve at the rear end of the piston Working in the space between the head and the cylinder and having a portion adapted to be projected therefrom to cover said port, the major portion of the valve contained with`V Ji hspace die cylinder laced time cvlinder coiniiins'cion Wide. s cylinder lisving admis sion end eid-must ports, cylinder heed lieving e portion projecting into the cylinder, slice valves closely fitting the s@ ice between die cylinder liesd and the cylindes but adapted to be proiected beyond the cylinder need, eecli to close its port, and means for preventing die access of liigli pressure to die sides of the valves 'facing cylinder lieid.

4l. .fin internal combustion engine having e cylinder, e piston, e cylinder port, en internelly projecting cylinder heed, end e segmental erc-slisped slide valve presenting e substentielly sinootii fece in sliding Contact with seid cylinder heed end adopted to be projected beyond the seme to close the port.

ln en internal combustion engine the combination. `oi @cylinder having admission end exlioust ports, independent arc-shaped slid-e valves et the reer end of the piston adapted to open end close seid ports, and e cylinder lieed having e.v portion projecting into seid cylinder end protecting tlie inner feces of said slide valves from the access of en excessive seating `gni'essure.

d. lin en internal combustion engine, the combination with e. cylinder lieving edrnisotected 'roni the pressure of tlie sion and exhaust ports, s piston, independent arcsheped slide valves adapted to open end close said ports end automatically seated by the pressure of the ges contained Within the cylinder space, e. cylinder heed having..

a portion proiecting into seid cylinder and protecting 'the inner:` faces of seid slide valves from the access o en excessive seating pressure, and Ineens for moving the velves heving connections to the outer side of the valve through en opening in the Wall on which the valve seats.

7. lin en internal combustion engine, the combination of o. cylinder having a port, a. slide valve plete adapted to open and close seid port, said plete being seated by the pressure of the ges contained Within the cylinder space, means for protecting the major portion of said valve from the access of an excessive seating pressure, and operating connections for moving said valve connected thereto through an opening in the Wall on which the lvalve seats.

8. An internal combustion engine having e cylinder, e piston, e cylinder port, an internelly projecting cylinder head, a segmentsl, :irc-shaped slide valve presenting a. substantially smooth foce in sliding contact with seid heed and adapted to be projected beyond the same to close the port, and operating connections for moving the valve connected thereto through an opening in the cylinder Well on Which the valve seats.

ln tescimony whereof, il lieve signed my naine to this specification, inthe presence of ivm subscribing Witnesses.

ADOLPH RUSNER. viiitnesses:

A. Rinne, TnoMAs 3B. BOOTH. 

